Alright we'll open in Boca, stop kvetching already!
Written: Nov 26 '04 (Updated Nov 26 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Authentic NY Kosher deli in Florida - Woo-Hoo!
Cons: Arteries don't stand a chance
The Bottom Line: -
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| carnut2k4's Full Review: Ben's Deli |
I've been pining for a good Deli down here in Florida. Two actually - one Kosher and one Italian. It's just one of those many things I've learned to do without for most of the year. Of course the three or four times per year that I find myself up in NYC I hit every Deli I pass. One of my favorite Kosher spots in NY is a small chain of Deli's called Ben's. There's one right near my house in Bayside (Queens) which I eat at regularly. It's the definition of a NY Kosher Deli. I've oft wondered why these people haven't come down here and opened up a Ben's in south Florida. It's not as if we're lacking for Chosen Folks around here. And then one day I drove past a roadside sign in Boca Raton promising that Ben's of New York was on its way! Life is good. I've been waiting almost a year since I first saw that sign and had to wait an additional couple of months due to construction setbacks this summer - stupid hurricanes! Well the wait is over. They've thrown the doors open and I made the pilgrimage. So is a Deli still a Deli when it leaves New York? Let's find out...
A Lot To Live Up To
I had high hopes going in. Ben's in Boca touts that it's staffed with NY transplants. The kitchen staff will make the same food they do up north. Like it's counterparts in NY, Ben's is located in a strip mall. The red brick building was just finished last week. The neighboring stores are still being built out. Even though Ben's was the only store open for business, the parking lot was completely full. We walked in and snagged the only available table. This was at four o'clock on a Tuesday. The others have heard.
Inside, this Ben's looks an awful lot like my regular spot up in Queens. It's a strange layout. It's the nineteen fifties version of the future. Bizarrely coffered ceilings with concentrically smaller tiers exverted (I may have just made that word up (?) but it's intended meaning should be apparent) from the ceiling down. The coffered layers aren't round - maybe they're kidney shaped or something. It's hard to give it a name. Brightly inlaid floors with long swooping color segments - if you were prone to LSD flashbacks you might even see the yellow brick road in that floor. Many different designs of small lamps dangle from the ceiling by eight foot long, skinny cables. Our booth had a four by ten sheet of plate glass standing above it etched with the Empire State Building. Cheapish but comfortable booths and tables and chairs are all coordinated in earth tones to match the walls. One of the tiers of the bizarro ceiling has a border running the expanse of it which is made entirely of black and white depression era photos which evoke Eldridge Street of the 1930's (lower east side of Manhattan). Sporadically painted on the walls or in picture frames are Jewish witticisms: "A wandering people for five thousand years - then we found Boca", "Today I am a man, tomorrow I return to the seventh grade", "If you can't say something nice, say it in Yiddish." It's a good effort at matching it's NY counterparts.
Upon entering, the first thing you see is the wooden counter. The cashier is here as are numerous t-shirts and the like that can be had by tourists. To the left is the deli counter and it looks authentic. Hebrew National red sleeved meats hanging from the ceiling. Innumerable salads and knishes and so on. Past the deli counter the hostess is waiting. We sit down and I'm happy to see that familiar menu. It's identical to NY. The menu is impossibly long so you'll just have to stop by their website for the complete version. Suffice it to say they have all the; Homemade salads, knishes, latkas, sandwiches, soups and dinners that any self respecting Kosher Deli has. I should mention one thing about being Kosher. This is a Kosher meat restaurant. No milk, or milk products are on the premises. That being said there is one more thing to know. They are open on Saturdays. To those that adhere strictly to Jewish law this is not actually a Kosher restaurant because of that. For this epinionator, it's plenty Kosher.
The Longest Yard
We snagged the last table and tore through the menu at lightning speed. I was ready to get down-n-dirty with a mile high Corned Beef on Rye. With the menus, a server dropped off those familiar stainless steel bowls ubiquitous to all Kosher delis. One is filled with various Pickles and the other with Cole Slaw. Now Ben's is known for making all of their own salads on site so I dove right into the slaw. Heaven. The pickles are the same as the ones served in NY. We're batting a thousand so far. I was primed for the main course. A full ten minutes went by without a waiter coming over to us. The frantic pace of the place made it obvious that on the third day of operations they hadn't quite gotten all the bugs worked out. I cut 'em some slack. I grabbed a hold of the hostesses arm when she was passing and informed her. I watched as a group of waiters tried to figure out whose station we were sitting in. Five minutes later Adam came over to help us out. He had been on the job for three hours at that point. We helped him take our order.
Game Time
We both started with Matzo Ball Soup ($3.79). The Wife loves it at Ben's and I had forgotten that I don't. Oh well. Kosher deli's always have the full line of Dr Brown's sodas available so I had a Black Cherry and the Wife went with a Diet Cream($1.59 each). I had a beautiful, extra lean Corned Beef on Rye ($8.29). What can I say. The bread is baked on premises and is delicious. They corn their own brisket and it's identical to the NY stuff. Even the condiments are Hebrew National which ties it all together. It was a half pound of bliss. I also ordered a side of French Fries ($2.99) which were just as they were supposed to be. They were scrubbed, peeled, cut and fried within moments of me ordering them. I'm not sure what they do differently but these are the second best Fries on the planet. The best Fries on the planet are from Nathan's and these are very similar in texture and flavor. My Wife had one of her favorites. Turkey and.. .. .. ..get ready for it.. .. ..Chopped Liver on Rye ($10.99). It pains me just writing it - let alone sitting at the table with it. I've never liked Liver. I don't care if it's Chopped, Wurst, fried with onions or just plain old with Fava Beans and a nice Chianti. And the thought of degrading that poor turkey...
Adam asked if we wanted coffee and dessert to which we both declined. We had just eaten an awful lot of food. Besides, Kosher deli's are not a place to have coffee and dessert. Don't forget - no milk or milk products. I can't use that 'coffee whitener' that they serve and Jews ain't exactly known for their pastries anyway. They offer several cakes and pies but I'll tell you without even trying one that 'feh' is the best you'd get out of me.
Last Thoughts
The bill was thirty five bucks with tax and I gave Adam a ten dollar tip because I was in such a good mood. This is about a half hour from my house which makes it a 'destination' restaurant and it is one I will patronize weekly. The strange décor and the familiar smells really have brought a piece of home to Florida. On our way out we saw a line from the hostess station going all the way outside. A good fifty people were waiting for a table at five o'clock on a Tuesday. As we pushed past these folks I looked up over the deli and saw another one of those kitschy signs. It said "If you don't eat, it will kill me." Don't worry Ben, no one's dying on my watch.
Now if I could only find a decent Italian deli around here...
Ben's Deli
9942 Clint Moore Rd
Boca Raton, FL 33496
561.470.9963
561.496.4354 fax
www.bensdeli.net
Reservations..........not taken
Vegetarians...........soups, salads, fries, latkas, etc
Bathrooms.............brand spanking new and spotless
Kid Friendly..........yes
Hours.................by location - check the website for yours
Dress Code............casual
Parking...............ample
Wheelchair Access.....yes
Credit Cards..........visa, mastercard, american express
Special Notes.........dine-in, take out and catering available
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
carnut2k4
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Jason
Location: in the wind
Reviews written: 99
Trusted by: 59 members
About Me:
The pool's in but the patio ain't dry
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